SAC approves comprehensive roadmap for resolution of promotion issues in police

The State Administrative Council (SAC) in a landmark decision has approved a comprehensive roadmap for resolution of a 25-year-old seniority dispute in the Jammu and Kashmir Police gazetted service.

The roadmap is based on the recommendations of a high-level committee, popularly called the 'Mir Committee'.

The SAC met under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik and approved a comprehensive roadmap proposed by the Home Department for resolution of the seniority dispute in the Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service, an official spokesperson said.

The seniority dispute between direct recruit sub-inspectors (SIs) of 1979 batch, direct recruit deputy superintendent of police (DySsP) of 1999 batch of Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service and the departmental officers owe its origin to the retrospective promotion of ASIs (departmental) to the rank of SIs in 1985 and their subsequent promotion as DySsP and SsP.

Under court orders, the Home Department set up various committees from time-to-time to examine the matter in its entirety.

With a view to resolving the issue in its right perspective while safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders as far as possible, the Home Department constituted a committee under the chairmanship of A G Mir, IPS, ADGP to hold consultations with all stakeholders for suggesting a concrete roadmap for resolving the dispute in light of the high court orders passed in various writ petitions and relevant rules, he said.

The high-level committee suggested a comprehensive roadmap for resolution of the seniority dispute, review of the promotions at DySSP and SSP level in accordance with the parameters like eligibility, length of service, date of vacancy, operation of reserves, besides the number of posts allocable to direct quota and promotion quota, the spokesperson said.

The SAC decision will enable the government in the Home Department to regularise the promotion of the officers who have been working under challenging circumstances over the last three decades.

With this decision, the ad hocism in the Jammu and Kashmir Police (Gazetted) Service will end, the spokesperson said.